Brighter Skies: A Zootopia Story
by crossfire775
Summary: Brighter Skies is a Zootopia story staring the unfamiliar pair of Jack and Skye. Jack Savage suffers with a mental disorder that effects the way he views the world. Skye, a beautiful arctic fox, is the only thing that makes him smile. He's going to need her as they take on the biggest drug case in Zootopian history. Watch how suicidal depression affects the life and job of the hare
1. Brighter Skies: Chapter 1

_You worthless waste of space. Why are you still here?! All you do is destroy the lives around you. The absolute worst. Trash. Scum. Every time you breathe I swear I want to finish you myself._

"I can get better."

 _Better?! Better isn't going to change what you've already become! Better isn't going to make all the people hurt come back, you know._

" _You_. The people _you_ hurt. You're a monster. A demon."

The low whisper chuckled as he continued its assault. _It's funny how you think people will notice the difference. "You. Me?" Do you think they would even care? You can do it tonight and no one would care._

"That's not true... Please sto-"

 _The world would keep spinning, and would probably be better off without you. Just do it. End it. Why wake up to just disappoint and ruin. There's NO POINT IN LIVING IF YOU'RE GOING TO-_

"Enough! I promised her I would be strong! I cannot- WILL NOT break that promise! I will not give in!"

The demon let out one last ominous laugh l that made every fiber of his being burn in fear: the fear of failing.

 _You it. Don't you see..._

You've already given in.

* * *

He raised his head from the steering wheel to glance at his phone. "8:57. Ugh how am I gonna make it through tonight?" His chest still aches as his heart rate finally began to slow. He adjusted the rearview mirror enough to see the fur on his cheeks matted and damp. Tears still burn his weary eyes as if it's an uncommon occurrence. "Come on man, pull yourself together." A weary sigh finally left his muzzle as he attempts to re-focus on the task at hand.

Every Friday night, Big Pin (a mid-level distributor) eats at a high-end Italian restaurant called The Vineyard. Considering the food was passable at best, it was definitely concerning how gazelle would go this deep into the Rainforest District just for bermuda. It was safe to assume that he was there to either indulge in their many wines or to conduct business.

The dealer managed to fly under the radar of his agency for the most part. The world was too crowded with crime for them to focus their resources on simple powder pushers. However, in the past few weeks, the overdose rate on his product nearly tripled, leaving a trail of dead mammals in his wake. That had to put stop to this. He was assigned with his partner to go undercover to find where the next big buy will be. _Cleaning up after the ZPD once again._

Remember: 9:00. Don't be late handsome (;  
\- received 8:38pm

He read the text as the time grew closer with no sign of his partner. His patience with her only grew thinner when it came to cases like this. "Where is that pain-in-the-ass. She better not be late again. I swear- "

 _She doesn't wants to spend another moment with a useless piece of shit like you. Look at you: can't even get a FAKE date to respect you. Didn't pay her enough I guess._

He grumbled at the voice as he laid his head back on the steering wheel. His breathing returned to the quickened pace that incapacitated him before. The voice that haunted him was a low pitched rumble that broke him down as it shook. An ominous hum laced with the raspness of pain. Low and sweet like a madman's lullaby. "Please not now." Tears returned to his eyes as a warm ache tore through his chest. Whimpers followed as his attack continued, deepening with every word:

 _Go ahead and cry. You ungraceful, hopeless, piece of shit. Crying seems to be the only thing you accomplish. This is exactly what I mean you-_

The high-pitched alarm that he set snapped him out of his torture. He frantically pulled the phone back to his face.

 _9:00._

He threw his head back onto the seat, drawing his breaths back down to a slower pace. Get yourself together man. People are counting on you. Once again his gaze found the rearview mirror only to see the eyes of a exhausted agent staring blankly back at him. Eyes that he almost didn't recognize. Looking back at him. Mocking him.

With thick sarcasm lacing his voice, he offered motivation to the stranger in the mirror:

 _Show time, slick. Get in there and make the world a better place._

He grumbled as he hopped out of the sleek sedan that was assigned to him for the operation. He had to blend in in every possible aspect. This, however, wasn't an issue when it came to his wardrobe. He always wore a casual, dark colored dress shirt to work along with blank slacks and a silver watch. The only habit he had to restrain from was rolling the cuffs of the sleeves up to his elbows, which he already was tugging at in discomfort. He only hoped that his partner was also dressed accordingly as he made his way through the front door of the restaurant.

* * *

"Well look who it is! I was starting to think I got stood up."

His hears shot up as he finally looks up from his cuffs to scan the tables for the source of the sarcastic comment. The restaurant seemed to leave the rainforest behind as the inside truly resembled a lush wine vineyard. In a booth three down from where he was standing, he sees his partner's trademark smug grin.

"That would've been bad news for you, Mr. Savage," she continued as she pat her paw next to her. "I don't take rejection well."

"Bite me," Jack mocked in response. He sat down across the table from her as he kept his annoyed grin. Her chin rested on her crossed hands as she trained her seductive at him "Stop looking at me like that, Skye."

Across from him, and the stack of dishes that she somehow accumulated, sat a beautiful white-furred vixen. She was as sly as the negative stereotype would lead you to believe. The warm smirk she always wore was an accurate precursor for whatever sly comment that left her. Her narrowed blue eyes intently looked back at him. Although the thought of having to spend the evening with the annoying fox made his skin crawl, he could not help but be moved by how her eyes brighten the room.

"Ohhhh Jaaack! You have such a way with words. I'm soaking over here." One of his eyebrows shot up as she said this with a childish snort. She was definitely known for making lewd jokes, but that last felt a little more like a clumsy advancement. This wasn't like the solitary fox. "How do you keep the ladies off those stripes of yours."

 _By being completely useless._

"Skye did you already eat? How long have you been here?" He attempted to brush off his obvious blushing by looking down at all of the scraped plates. The stack of emptied platters and wine glasses created a valley between them. He assumed this was to help conceal their position. Did she come up with that on her own?

"You're so cute when you get nervous, honey."

 _Ok now I KNOW there's definitely something up with her. This isn't like her at all. She must be acting for their cover, right?_

Before he could bark at her for how offensive the "c- word" was again, she continued. "I've been here for about an hour and a half. Don't worry I've been a good little fox." She let off a wink that caused his ears to flush even more. The cutsey, innocent voice she occasionally puts on always gets his ears to turn a warm pink. It was obvious that she knew.

He had to clear his throat before he spoke again. "Why did you tell me to come at nine then? I need to be here when you are, Skye. You know this." He rose in his seat as he scolded, "You know my ears are better! How are YOU going to get all of the information we need!?" It was very obvious how Jack still didn't fully trust his partner. He never has. Not wanting his anger to blow their cover, he sat back down and resumed, "this could be serious, Skye. It may just seem like drug dealing. We don't know how deep this thing can go."

"That's what she said."

One ear on the shot up in confusion as it took a second for the naive rabbit to get the suggestive joke. Every canine in Skye's muzzle flashed as a warm bellow of laughter leaked from her. As she laughed the smell of fermented grapes flooded his nose. His eyes bulged as his mind started connecting the dots of her sexual comment. That, at the moment, was the least of his concern

Disappoint floods his face once he also realized other obvious fact about his partner. The flirtatious attitude; the grape aroma; her slurred voice. . .

"Skye. . . . You're drunk."

"Jack. . . . You're sexy."

 _You're rubbing off on her, slick._

The fact that she copied his face and voice as she spoke only infuriated him further. He barked, "For gods sake Skye we're on duty! We're not out here for no reason! He could be here any moment!"

She leaned back as she picked her teeth. Indifferently, she shrugged, "What? Who? Pin Head? Oh he left half an hour ago. Geez, that guy couldn't whisper to save his life! Yak, yak, yak, yak, yak! Eventually he did blurt out the location though. I already called it in. They picked him up making the sell down on 4th and Quaker."

"WHAT?!" Jack was back on his feet as he couldn't hold back his rage any further. His breathing grew to a swift pace as he glared at her. "You made me come this late for nothing?!"

" Pfffft. That's what he sai-"

"SHUT YOUR GODDAMN MOUTH!"

 _You got to admit, that was pretty funny._

"YOU SHUT UP TOO! BOTH OF YOU JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

An awkward silence grew over the restaurant. The animals turned curiously to find the source of the booming voice only to find that it was the rabbit leaned over the table: frozen. He trembled as he realized he just yelled that last statement to himself. His painful hyperventilating increased as his face cringed, holding back tears.

Skye let out a slow sigh as he observed his partner. "Not again..." she thought to herself as she watched the attack worsen. A look of pure anguish swept her face as she watched his partner fight himself once again.

The restaurant slowly came back to life after the heated argument seemed to resolve itself.

Not being able to watch another moment of her partner's distress, she reached out to grab his still-tensed paw. "Jack... Stay with me." His breathing immediately slowed as he looked up at her. His mouth hung open slightly as hopelessness painted his face. He continued to pant as she wiped the single tear that accumulated with her thumb.

 _Whelp, saw this coming. You ruined it again. Bravo._

"Jack, you dumb bunny. Can't you see I wanted you to be here. I never have a good time without you. I NEED you to be here with me. Can't you see..." She paused for what felt like an eternity.

 _Oh no. . . Did she say she needed me. Why does she need ME? Don't you see I need you! Please tell me why you need me. Tell me it's for the same reason. Say it. Say it..._

"Jack. . . . .

I need a ride home."

 _For the love of..._

A few moments passed as he attempted to gather himself. When he looked back at her, her beautiful blue eyes were once again attempting to brighten his dark soul. With a reluctant sigh, he submits. "Ugh, fine." He was far too relaxed from her touch to feel angry at her. She saved the lives of (who knows how many) mammals tonight. . . including his own.

He nearly jumped when she let out a gleeful shriek. "Great! You're the best!" She shrilled as she got up from the table with a, less than graceful, stumble. She was more intoxicated than she let on. He, however, was focused on the slick black dress that she was now adjusting. It hugged her curved, muscular body with such grace that every married man in the room received a shot to the arm from their green-eyed wives. She obviously noticed his praiseful gaze. "Don't get a cavity over there, honey. I taste sweeter than you think."

His ears twitched as he realized he was caught red-handed.

 _Smoooooooth. Another point for Savage._

Shut up.

As she walked by him she placed her thumb on the base of his still twitching ear. She giggled as her claw ran up his inner ear as she moved towards the door. Satisfaction fueled her grin as Jack's foot frantically thumped the chair and his paw gripped the table. She was halfway to the door before he came to his senses and looked back in disgust. She swayed her hips as if she knew she won this round.

 _Dammit Skye. You and your smug smiles and dumb jokes and tasty hips and... Wait what?!_

He slapped his face in shock of what he just said to himself.

 _Ugh. That dumb fo-_

"Excuse me sir?"

He pulled his head from his hand to find the waiter, who was holding a piece of paper out for him. "You're a very lucky man, but I'd be careful around her. That was a pretty impressive appetite she had! She may have you for dessert."

Jack's eye twitched at him as he snatched the paper from the waiter's paw. His heart sang as he realized that he was looking at a long list of numbers with a total accumulated at the bottom. He turned around to see set the angelic con-artist was nowhere to be found.

"So sir, will this be cash, credit, or debit?"

He couldn't hold back a grin as her voice echoed in his head:

". . .You dumb bunny. . ."


	2. Brighter Skies: Chapter 2

_Once again you prove yourself to be the idiot, Savage. Bravo. Wanna go and give her one final 'bite me' before she finds you hanging from a rope?_

"Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!"

 _Tisk tisk, Mr. Savage. Always trying to be the better man. Willing to put himself through all this pain for one ill-advised promise._

"A promise that I intend to keep. You're not going to break me! You hear me?! You can't hurt me any more than you already have!"

 _Hmm_ , the demon hesitated, as if forming a plan. Chills ran down Jack's spine when the monster chuckled in satisfaction to his own idea. _Well then, since I can't hurt you, why don't we let your friend know how we feel. How much do you-_

"You keep your filthy paws off of her..."

 _Oh?! There's the enthusiasm I was looking for! Don't worry, slick. I'm not going to tell her a thing. . ._

 _you are._

* * *

By the time Jack made it out of the restaurant the streetlights were on. The upper canopy of the Rainforest District usually kept the streets very dim during the day, so much that the streetlights actually improved Jack's visibility as he made his way towards his car. The black sedan was often supplied to him by the ZPD during drug-specific cases. Judging by the large chrome wheels and the lowered profile of the vehicle, Jack was certain that he car was a repo from a dealer.

"Dammit Skye! Did you plan from the beginni-" Jack hopped into the car only to realize that Skye was already asleep in the passenger seat. Condensation grew and shrank on the window as she snored. Although he was still upset with her, he couldn't help but admire how beautiful the vixen could look even as she slept.

Jack let out a dismissing sigh as he flopped down in his seat. The leather felt more comfortable for the fact that his wallet was one hundred and twenty-five dollars thinner. "You dumb fox. What am I gonna do with you."

 _We could do whatever we want with her like this. Look at her man, she's literally begging to be touched._

Jack cringed at the thought the demon just put in his head. He frantically dragged his attention away from the raising and falling of her breast by pulling out his phone. _9:18. Maybe I'll have time to eat_. He shrugged as he opened his music app. _A little music should calm me down._

He plugged the phone into the radio as he pulled onto the street. Jack enjoyed the sensations the bass brought to his ears as the highway lead them away from the rainforest. The song relaxed him, although the lyrics were as depressing he was:

 _I grew up, a f-  
screw up. Tie my shoe up.  
Wish they were newer.  
Damn, need something newer._

In love with the baddest girl  
In the city, I wish I knew her.  
I wish I wasn't so shy, I wish  
I was a bit more fly I wished  
That I,

Could tell her how  
I really feel inside.  
That I'm the perfect n- for her  
But then maybe that's a lie.

She liked a certain type of n-  
And its clear I'm not that guy.  
Ball player, star player.  
Im just watching from the side:  
On the bench,

Because my lack of confidence  
Won't let me fly. . .

His singing voice ominously resembled the one that haunted him. The pitch was a somewhat low, raspy roar. Although he sung softly, the pain filled voice seemed as if it demanded to be heard.  
The passing lights distracted him from himself as he continued along to the gloom song:

 _Things change, rearrange  
And so do I.  
It ain't always for the Better, dawg  
I can't lie._

I get high cause the lows  
Can be so cold.  
I might bend a little bit  
But I don't fold.

One time for my mind  
and two for yours  
I got food for your thoughts  
to sooth your soul

If you see my tears fall  
just let me be..  
Move along, nothing to see...

"You sure know how to get to a girl, don't you Mr. Savage?"

Jack flinched from the sudden comment that came from beside him. He was so far into his own world that he forgot he had a drung vixen next to him. She continued, "Are you using that manly voice of yours to try to take advantage of me?"

He knew she was just making an innocent joke; drunk Skye being drunk Skye. However, he was still flushed considering the previous thoughts that he was trying to run away from. "I, uhh- I'm just- umm. No I just like to sing to myself is all..." He looked over to see her head cocked, giving him her ' you're so full of crap' look. His ears slumped back as a defeated look slid over his face.

 _Yet another point for Savage._

With a chuckle, that once again warmed his heart, she concluded "If you want 'the baddest', you're going to need to sing something a little bit more exciting." She grabbed his phone to scroll through his playlist. "Let's see if we can find something more fun!"

The excited glee slowly left her face as she continued to scroll. Each song was as depressing as the last. She looked over to her driver who almost sank too low in his seat to see over the wheel. "You're killing me, Jack. One day you have to let me-"

"Agents? Hello? Does anybody remember which channel the vehicle I loaned to the ZIA is on?"

The car swerved when both Skye and Jack nearly jumped out of their pelts. Unknown to them, there was a standard issue ZPD Police Scanner in the glove box. The voice that blew from the handset was very deep, as if it came from some large animal. Skye opened the glove box and picked up the handset.

"This is Agent Skye. Go ahead."

Jack was amazed by how serious Skye became as she spoke. Her face was blank as she spoke sternly. However, the voice on the other side of the line seemed unimpressed:

"There you are. We've been interrogating this gazelle you helped us nab. You were right, this guy doesn't know when to shut up..."

Jack groaned aloud when he recognized the extremely dry humor that was on the scanner. Skye couldn't slap his arm fast enough before a sarcastic response returned: "Nice to hear from you, Jack." His eye rolled as he continued:

"He gave the name and location of another dealer he's been working with. A weasel. I have officers near the area but I need probable cause to bring him in. Are you near Tundratown?"

Skye looked out of the window to see what was under the raised highway. She sighed when her gaze met the frozen buildings below. Ice hang off of the trees, weighing them down until they hung over the snow-covered streets. Reluctantly, she replied:

"Yeaaah, we're by Tundratown."

"Good. The weasel is on 34th and Slide road. Get down there and see if you can catch him in the act."

"Copy that."

She gave an anguished huff while she holdstered the handset and slammed the glove box door. "So much for our Friday night. I was going to break you, too."

He glanced over to her as she continued to search through his playlists. She was already rubbing her claw on the white of her eyes, slowly make them a bloodshot red. He was rolling up his sleeves to his more comfortable style. A brush of his paw over his head made him hear more ruffled and sloppy. "And how did you plan on doing that, Skye?"

His eyes shot wide open when he felt a tongue running up his ear. A pulsing sensation overwhelmed his groin as she slowly panted in his ear. "I have my ways."

 _Green light! You have the green light! Man your battle stations! Bee doo! Bee doo!_

" _Will you shut up for once_ ," he thought to himself, "s _he's drunk. She'll be the same solitary fox by tomorrow. Hopefully..._ "

Ignoring his frustrated growling, she shrilled when she found an upbeat song on the sulking playlist. The energy that left her was almost overwhelming as a bass line coordinated her moves. Jack couldn't help but laugh at sight of her intoxicated partner hopping in her seat, shining her beautiful smile as she giggled and sung along.

Pulling off of the highway, they stopped at a red light. The arctic fox rolled down the front windows to enjoy the familiar cold breeze of the tundra. The bass from the amazing audio system that was installed echoed off of the tall buildings as she all but shouted the chorus:

 _She said "I heard you got a main chick  
A mistress and some hoes  
You be up to no good  
And everybody knows_

My home girls tried to warn me  
They tried to let me know  
But what you got, I need a lot  
So I can't let you go"

She said  
"I, can't get enough, can't get enough"  
(I need that)  
"I, can't get enough, can't get enough"  
(I need that)

"I can't get enough of what you got  
Good god, you hit the spot  
Tried to let go but I just could not  
So don't you stop, I need that"

She danced as provocatively as the song implied, rubbing her hands down her waist as she grinded the air. He would have kept staring at her amazing body if he didn't hear the crushing of snow next to them. He looked over to notice that a ZPD Cruiser had pulled up next to them.

He received two quizzical stares from the officers. One came from a orange fox who sat in the passenger seat with his feet propped on the dash. The other, from a cute, silver and white bunny, who stared intently with lavender eyes. He returned the confused stare not realizing that the ZPD changed their mind on allowing either species on the force.

Aside the gyrating fox in the sedan, it was like looking in a mirror. Jack rolled the windows back up as the light turned green. They took a right turn as the cruiser continued straight.

"Alright Skye time to get serious. The target is up ahead to the left." Jack slipped on a pair of shades and ran a claw up the fur on his face to resemble a scar.

"I love it when you're controlling," she winked as she again ran his claws across her eyes to redden them. Another claw went into her nose and ran across the side of her nostril, drawing blood. "How about you choke me a little?"

"Now that you say it-"

"WATCH IT!"

One final chuckle left him before he took the final left turn. He turned up the radio once again to help complete their image as they neared the weasel.

* * *

"Jesus it's cold! Pin better be right about the clientele out here." The weasel paced the sidewalk to distract himself from the blistering chills that ran though his body. The jacket he wore was hollowed out of any insulation to make room for the small bags of pills, powder, and miscellaneous herbs.

His attention turned down the street as he heard Ann echo of a familiar bass line. A good looking black sedan rolled down the street towards him, the headlights dimming with every hit of the drum. The car rolled to a stop in front of him.

The weasel attempted to look through the deeply tinted windows only to see his reflection vibrating with the music. After a moment, the window rolled down to reveal a sight that nothing but surprised him. In the driver seat sat a poorly groomed rabbit. Shades covered a scarred, striped face that looked at him with a blank stare. Next to him sat a fox. She shook and scratched at her nose, making it obvious that she was suffering from withdrawals.

The weasel knew this would be an easy score. "So, what will it be for y'all two love birds: pill or powder?" Almost on cue the fox glared over at him with bloodshot eyes, sniffing the air with the one nostril that didn't have blood coming out of it. The bunny didn't stray from his serious stare. With a chuckle, the weasel pulled out a bag of blue powder about the size of a pool ball.

The rabbit calmly took the bag from him, examining it carefully. This didn't last long until the pred next to him snatched the bag away, giggling with an evil delight. She stuck her pinkie claw into the plastic, pulling it out to stick it into her mouth. With an orgasmic moan, she hugged herself and slid down into her chair.

She slid down her dress subconsciously as her eyes rolled to the back of her head, exposing part of her breast. The weasel watched intently, growling at the cold zipper that now scraped him.

"You know sweetheart, if you're looking for a good time I have plen-"

He was interrupted when the rabbit, without looking up at him, pulled a long revolver from the center console and sat it on the dash. His eyes only grew bigger as he also placed a handful of spent bullet cartridges next to the firearm.

As the rabbit continued to dig through the compartment, he could only close his eyes and hope for the best when he next item the rabbit pulled out was pointed towards him. He peeked to see that the small paws held out two hundred dollars. Causiously, he took the money and backed away from the dangerous hare. The sedan pulled away from him, the familiar bass resuming to blare through the buildings. He kept his eyes on the car until it turned the corner and disappeared.

"Freaks. . ."

* * *

"That went better than I thought! Smoothest one yet," Skye exclaimed as she pulled her dress back on. She then pulled a small bag out of her mouth; the bag that she put the drug in when she "sampled." It was a special drug-indication bag that changed colors when exposed to illegal substances. A good shake turned the bag purple.

 _Ecstasy_.

She opened the glove box once again and grabbed the radio. "This is Agent Skye. We have a confirmed transaction. Tested positive for ecstasy."

The deep voice returned to the radio as if he was waiting for them the whold time. "Copy that, we'll make the arrests. The ZPD thanks you and your agency for your cooperation. I expect the evidence on my desk by noon."

"Copy that," she replied as she looked at the radio's clock. It was almost midnight. "Me and my partner are calling it a night. We'll be silencing the radio if that's ok?"

"Go for it, we got it from here. Officer Wilde, you are free to-"

The transmittion was interrupted by the flick of the power button. She laid the radio back into the compartment and shut the door. Leaning back, she returns her gaze back out of the window.

Jack pulled back onto the highway as they both sat in silence. The passing lights were somehow relaxing even though the highway began to get somewhat rougher. They were nearing the urban neighborhoods where his apartment was.

Jack was the one who broke the silence. "You did that on purpose."

"Hmm?"

"Don't 'hmm' me. You know exactly what I mean. The dress."

"Ohhhhhhh that. I'm surprised you got jealous that quick," she said with a chuckle. "Maybe I like seeing my man stand up for me. . .pfft. Get it? Stand?" She covered her mouth to seal in the laugh. He didn't want him to know she noticed the erection he had during the confrontation.

"Skye why do you insist on toying with my heart..."

She froze at the unexpected response. Before she could give a sly response he continued:

"I know you're drunk, and that's ok, but you don't have to toy with me and give mixed messages every chance you get. When you're sober, you shy away from any acknowledgment of your emotions. You hide your heart from the world and from me when I try to bring you closer to the light. When you're drunk, you act as is we have already been together for years. You coax me, humiliate me, and remind me of what could happen if I had any confidence. It's not fair." His breathing increased in a rapid pace as be continued. "I know you don't mean it, but please don't mess with me like that. You know damn well I'm broken. While you have a good time I'm just trying to convince myself not to...hurt me..."

Jack could no longer speak as his hyperventilating overtook him. She just sat in self-pity as he pulled off of the highway and pulled over. The steering wheel shook as Jack convulsed and cried aloud. She wanted to help him.

She didn't know what she could say to help him at this point. She now felt like she was hurting him. The breathing. The convulsing. . .The tears. This attack was caused by her. Him talking about. . .hurting himself. She couldn't take it.

Only one sentence could help her reassure everything was ok. One sentence that she hoped was still true. One sentence that she hoped she would say yes to:

"You remember our promise right?"


	3. Brighter Skies: Chapter 3

_**One week earlier**_

* * *

"You wanted to see me, sir?"

"Yes, please come in. Close the door behind you."

"Is everything alright? What's going on?"

"Everything's fine. I have a new case for you that needs to be taken care of."

"Oh, okay. Why didn't you just give me the assignment in the bullpen like all of the others?"

"This case is a little more complex to be discussed in front of the Precinct. I need a loyal officer I can trust."

"Complex?"

"Mhm. Unfortunately this will have to be a Joint Operation with some agents at the ZIA."

"ZIA?! Why them? What is the case?"

"You remember the "Big Pin" case that Delgado has been trying to close?"

"Somewhat, sir. All I know is that he is a gazelle that I should look out for near Tundratown when we run patrol."

"Well that case has taken a turn for the worst. The number of overdoses caused by him has become too high for the mayor to ignore. He has ordered me to give the case to the ZIA for resolution, but I still want a ZPD officer monitoring."

"Oh. . . well, you can count on me me! Who will I have the honor of working with? Can I bring N-"

"You will be working with Jack and Agent Winters. They're some of the best in drug trafficking cases that I've ever seen."

"That is until **I** crack the case! What should I be expecting?

"Hmm, had a feeling you would like this part: a rabbit and a fox."

"WHAT?! This is fantastic! I'm so excited to see another partnership like mine!"

"You won't be meeting them for this operation. They'll simply be obtaining evidence while you make the arrest."

"With all due respect sir, I would still like to meet them... You don't know what this means for us. I mean, what if they applied for the ZPD instead?! We wouldn't have even been noticed at all!"

"That's why you can't meet them... They did apply."

"Umm... Sir, I don't understand."

"Things were different five years ago, ok. There's no way I could've gotten the approval to allow a fox on the force. The only reason your partner had a chance recently was because of the Night Howler case."

"I understand... And the rabbit?"

"He was different. He actually had better scores than you had. Every biome. Every class. Every weapon. He truly set the curve when it came to skill."

"I'm confused.. If that's the case why did you accept me and not him?"

". . . .He had health problems that could not be overlooked. He failed every psychiatric evaluation we gave him. Suicidal tendencies, alcohol abuse, and he commonly had what he can only described as ' attacks'. I won't go into further detail, but you can understand why I couldn't bring myself give him a weapon, let alone let him protect the city."

"Yes sir, I do. That's terrible, but I still don't see why there would be a problem with meeting them. I mean, he can't blame you for declining him because of a failed test, right?"

"Hmm. That's not exactly how it happened. The doctor that administered the exam advised me to come up with a different reason to tell him why he's been declined. They didn't want him acting drastically so. . . I told him I would give a badge to a rabbit 'when pigs fly'."

"Chief no. . ."

"Like I said, it was a different time. I will be keeping a close eye on all operations myself for anything you all do in the field. I will call them this evening with the information. Once they form a plan, we will act. I'll keep you posted."

"Yes sir..."

* * *

"How long are you going to he here again?" Jack was reclined back on his bed, watching as a fox was unpacking her suitcase in his apartment. The studio-style apartment had only one big room. His bed sat to the right of the door in front of a desk; the bathroom was further down the right side next to the small kitchen.

"They said it would take about a week to fix the waterline that broke," Skye explained as she continued to neatly lay her clothes out on the couch. "Should be more than enough time to break you."

"Fan-freaking-tastic," the sarcastic growl that came out of him made her chuckle. She turned to give him yet another loving smirk when she saw him turn his bottle of Crown Royal vertical. Sadness and confusion quickly replaced her smile when he threw the bottle to the side and reached for a new one in his desk. Skye has never seen Jack after hours, so she was confused to see how intoxicated the hare was getting.

"Wow Jack, do you usually drink this much or are you just fueling up for a fun night?" She, once again, was using her smug humor to hide the worry that she truly felt for her partner.

"Get off my case, Jack's off duty anyways," he huffed as he cracked open the next bottle.

It made her uneasy how he talked in the third person. It didn't feel as if she was talking to Jack anymore. It felt as if someone darker was sitting on the bed. Someone keeping Jack away from her. She ignored the complicated feelings she had as usual:

"So, whiskey huh? I figured you were more of a...

JACK-guy! Ba-dum-tiss!"

He couldn't help but let out a slow drunk snicker, "Pffffffft, whatever!" Swinging his legs around, he sat up on the edge of the bed and took another swig from the glass bottle. Turning, his eyes met the wide hips of the vixen as she bent down into her large suitcase. With a delighted growl, he continued: "I don't even like Jack. That guy sucks. I'm here whenever you need someone to-"

* * *

" _Hey! What the hell are you doing!?_ " the trapped voice finally yelled.

 _Relaaaax, I'm just having a good time_ , the demon, who had all but consumed him, assured. _Who knows, maybe she likes 'carrots'._

"No. HELL NO! You leave her alone! She has nowhere to go! She doesn't need this right now!"

 _Too bad. Should've thought about that before you drank, slick. I'm in control now._

"No... This can't happen! SKYE!? SKYE!"

* * *

"Uhh, excuse me?!" Skye looked back in shock of what he just said. She glared at him, daring him to complete this sentence, only to find that he was frozen. Although he was looking in her direction, it was like he was staring off into another universe. His breathing was very shallow and sporadic as his hands shook around the bottle. She ran over to him and grabbed his shoulders, trying to snap him out of his trance. "Jack?! Jack are you ok?!"

Jack eyes widened to find that she somehow appeared right in front of him without him noticing. Staring into her deep, blue eyes, his breathing finally slowed enough for him to speak again. "Oh... Yeah I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

His words weren't comforting. Her ears sagged back as he pulled her partner close into a hug. "Don't scare me like that! I didn't know what was happening..."

They held each other in silence. The warm embrace of her thick arctic fur was all be needed to lose control of his tears. He didn't weep because of his pain, but mostly for hers.

After a minute of her shirt being wettened by tears, she realized that she was holding her coworker in his apartment. She nervously released him and scurried back to the couch. "Umm... Uhhh... Where can I put my stuff? I rather not take up all of your couch for a week.." Skye kept her body turned away from him to hide the panic on her face.

"Hmm? Oh, you can use the closet next to the couch." He finally answered after he, once again, peeled his gaze from the base of her tail. After taking one last gulp, he set the second half empty bottle on the desk and stumbled towards the kitchen. "Oh, boy," left his lips as he tripped over nothing and caught himself against the diner table. He stayed leaned over as his vision continued to blur.

A loud bang on the table that shook the ground snapped his brain back into focus as a loud shrill rang from the voice next to him:

"WHAT THE **HELL** IS THIS!"

His vision still clearing, he picked up the object he slammed on the wood and brought it closer to his eyes. Horror overcame Jack as he realized what she had pulled out of the closet: a long, white rope that he had tied into a poorly executed noose. By the way the rope was frayed at the end of the knot, one could tell that it has been stressed before. Jack didn't know how to respond, but he wasn't the one in control. The demon knew exactly what to say to the fox as tears ran down her stricken face:

"Uhhhhhh. . .

. . . Jack's a kinky guy?"

She was unamused. With tears matting her beautiful muzzle, she lost control. "Don't lie to me! Where you going to hurt yourself!? I'm serious Jack, don't lie to me! I'll never forgive you if I found out you left me because of this! Please tell me this isn't what I think it is.."

Jack wanted to tell her everything was ok. He wanted to tell her he hasn't seen that noose in his life in an attempt to relax her. But he was too drunk to keep dominion over the monster that now controlled him. The beast, overcoming Jack's will power one last time, grabbed her muzzle. With a low, slurred voice that wreaked of alcohol, the smugly responded:

"I knew you loved me."

Her ears shot back as they turned a warm pink. With a deepening scowl, she pushed him off of his feet, taking a chair with him as he crashed to the floor. She then ran to the bathroom (the only room that was separated by walls) and slammed the door behind her.

Jack sat on his back staring at the ceiling. He has finally willed the demon back into his subconscious, but it was too late. He laid there absolutely defeated. A warm cloak of pain covered his already weary heart as sobs escaped from the bottom of the door.

* * *

"I can't believe you could do this. . ."

 _Really? This seems exactly like something I would do._

"Whatever. . ."

* * *

He slowly raised to his feet and knocked on the bathroom door. His voice somber, he pleaded: "Skye? Skye it's me. Open the door so we can talk." Only faint sobs was his response. "Skye..."

Before he could continue, he heard Skye's phone ring through the door. It only rang twice before she answered with a serious tone:

"Hello...

This is Agent Winters...

Oh hey, Chief! How've you been?!...

I see. What kind of case...

Of course...

Of course your officers can help!...

My email would be best...

Got it. Send me what you have and we'll get right on it...

No thank you! Nice to hear from you!...

Alright...

Bye."

Jack had his ear pressed against the door to hear the conversation when the door swung open. The hard oak against his head staggered him as Skye hurried by him to get to her suitcase. She pulled out a laptop and placed it on the desk. "We got a case, Jack."

He stumbled next to her with his hand on his head. Grumbling, he watched as she opened her email with a serious face. As she read the message aloud, he couldn't help but focus on the soaked, matted fur on her cheeks. He caused that...

"Skye..."

"Wow! Look at how many overdoses this guy is causing!"

"Skye please-"

"Big Pin? That's a weird name for a gazelle."

"Skye if you could just listen for two seconds-"

She raised her face from the screen to look at him with a near- snarl on her face.

"HOW ABOUT IF YOU COULD FOCUS FOR TWO SECONDS?!"

Ears flopped back, he obeyed the command and looked at the screen. She had already scrolled to where the folder talked about Big Pin's common schedule. One common occurrence caught his eye.

"This says he goes to The Vineyard every Friday. That's an hour out into the Rainforest District. Why would he possibly go out there so often?"

Turning her face back to the laptop, she stated, "They have some good wine out there. Maybe he enjoys a drink."

Jack grinned and returned, "You think I don't know that? That may be the case, but I can show you at least ten liquor stores between here and there that well way better wine at half the cost. He's got to be there for a different reason."

With that ominous comment, Skye closed the laptop and turned towards him. "Listen... Jack. We can put this behind us. We need to so we can do our jobs..."

Jack was shocked that Skye was finally talking about her feelings seriously for once. He only sat in anticipation as she continued:

"I will leave this topic alone if you can promise me one thing:

"Promise me you'll stay strong. Promise me you won't give in to whatever's tearing at you. You're more than just a partner to me. You're..." Choking back tears, she sighed and continued, "Look, I can't lose you Jack. It won't look good on my resume."

Jack finally let a weak grin return to his face as the blue eyes of the Angel next to him stared deep into his heart. Her returning smile brightened up the room that was otherwise darkened by the clouds of this inner mind. He never felt as much peace as he felt at that moment. Any moment with her is a chance to look up to a clear Sky.

"I will... If you can promise me something in return.."

"Sure! Anything!"

"Don't ever leave my side. . . I love that smile of yours."

"Pfft, That's not the only thing you stare at."

". . .Bite me."


	4. Brighter Skies: Chapter 4

_**Present day**_

* * *

"Wait, wait, I got another one! What song do you sing when you're doing Karate? 'Every **bunny** was Kung-Fu-Fightiiiiing!'"

"Woooow that joke was as good as the last fifty bad ones," Jack sarcastically smirked as he struggled to put his keys in the door. It was pitch black, so he used his watch to light up the lock. _12:45._

"I'm just trying to cheer you up!" Skye snickered as she chewed on his ear like a toy. Finally, Jack opened the door and motioned her in. "Why thank you, handsome. You're such a gentleman," she giggled as she entered. A flick of her tail into his face cut of any opposition he offered:

"Yeah, yeah, whate-"

"No I mean it! You're amazing Jack; don't ever doubt it. I hope you know that..."

"Mmm," was his only response as he untied his tie in the mirror. She's been acting different after what he said in the car. She seemed more sincere and empathetic towards him. _What's going on with her_? "Is everything alright Skye? I'm sorry if I made you worry about me..."

Skye couldn't help but grin at him for worrying about her. Jack was so distant when it came to his emotions. When he finally opened his heart to her in the car. . . it moved her in a way she's never felt before. She didn't care what people would say anymore. Skye wanted to see more of his heart. She truly wanted to be closer to him. . . in every way.

"Skye?"

"What? Oh, yeah I'm more than alright!" A mischievous smirk grew on her face. She slid off her dress to expose a sports bra as she laid her trap. "One more! What do foxes call their honeymoon?"

Jack sighed as he continued to fight the buttons on his shirt, "I don't know, Skye. What do they-"

Jack's ears, among other things, shot straight up as he looked up at the mirror. Behind him stood the half naked body that he's been eyeing all week. Her beautiful white coat was more breathtaking than he had ever dreamed. Although the room was dark, he could still make out her exaggerated, curved silhouette as her sparkling blue eyes looked down at him.

She softly pinched the bottom off his ears as she twirled her tongue around the top. She could barely control her nervous giggles watching him grow in this slacks. Aside the frantic thumping his feet created, Jack was frozen where he stood when she finished her bad joke:

"'Tieing the KNOT!'"

All the sexual composure she had disappeared as she burst out in laughter. Using the ear that wasn't in her hand, Jack covered his face, muffling his laugh. "I have to admit, I did KNOT see that coming!"

"Don't worry, I'll warn you when I'm close next time."

The tension immediately returned to him when a warm, wet sensation ran up the inside of his ear. He couldn't hold back a relieving moan that left from between his paws. Lifting his gaze back to the mirror, Skye still had a sinister grin on her face as she licked him.

"I don't know what you're thinking up there, but rabbits don't knot like that. You better have a more bunny-friendly approa-"

With a savage growl, she pinched down hard on the base of his ear. Another moan left him as his ear shot straight up and hit her. Her eyes almost had a lustful flow through the reflection. Jack's eyes widened as he watched his whole erect ear slowly disappear between her teeth. He huffed shallow breaths of pleasure, each time breathing in her strong, sweet scent. Inch by inch he felt a tight, warm embrace constrict his ear until her wet nose rested atop his head. The way she inhaled his scent almost made his knees buckle.

Skye watched with absolute glee as he trembled under her touch. He tugged at his belt, making the imprint on his lacks reveal more than she expected. The end of the figure already begun to soak through. She had him exactly where she wanted him.

Before he could figure out his belt, she worked her way back to the tip of his ear. Jack froze once again in anticipation, waiting on what the seductive vixen had in store for him. With her slow, melting voice, she whispered, "I'm going to go take a shower. Good luck dealing with that." She hid her satisfaction as she made her way towards the bathroom.

". . .bite me."

He couldn't help but smile as he struggled to reposition himself in his slacks. "I swear tomorrow I'm gonna…" His voice trailed of as he looked around, realizing that he would be this alone when she left tomorrow. Her apartment should be finished.

"Why can't you stay, Skye…. I need you. I can't do this without you…. I'm so sick of trying to fight this alone. If you didn't make me make that promise…. Skye, I…. No! No… She's leaving tomorrow. Let her…."

 _Bitch better not take our rope_.

Feeling his chest tighten again, sat down at his desk and pulled out a journal. He loved to write poetry to clear his mind, although it was mostly sloppy considering his clouded state of mind. Before Jack could start writing, his still-damp ear curiously caught something that came from the bathroom over the sound of running water:

"Nnnnnngh…. Oh, Jack…. Right there."

"Wow, really?" Jack chuckled. He couldn't tell if she was tempting him again or just defiling his carrot-shaped shampoo bottle. His smirk returned to his face as he began to write:

* * *

"So, apartment should be ready. She'll finally be out of your hair. Hooray... Right?"

 _Of course, you idiot! You think she wants to be here!? She doesn't care. No one cares. Just leave, already._

"My ear would say otherwise, big guy."

 _Don't give me that shit. You think she's actually interested in you?! She pitied you. You sat there crying like the bitch you are and she felt_ _ **sorry**_ _for you._

"That's not true. . ."

 _Oh really?! How was she treating you before your little hissy-fit? Like a coworker. Like LESS of friends. The only reason she wanted to make that stupid promise was so you can actually do your job!_

"No. You're wrong... She cares for me. And I... Care for her."

 _Did you really just try lying to your own conscience?! You're so hilarious. So determined. So pathetic. She doesn't love you back... Yeah, I said it._

His breathing was once again reduced to fast, painful huffs. Tears began to soak his page as he continued:

 _Come on now, stop fighting already. Be honest with yourself. How long do you think you'll last when she leaves. How long will it take for me to break down what you attempted to rebuild? A day? A week? Two?_

The warm pain felt as if the hottest shower was scolding his heart. The demon then said the one fact that he couldn't reject. He couldn't deny:

 _Either way, we know how this will end. Just admit it, slick. You can't win this without her._

* * *

He could no longer write as he looked down at the last sentence. The sentence he knew was true, but he was scared to admit. It's haunted him every night she laid on the couch. "She's everything to me. I can't.. I can't put her through this. What if I still fail?"

Skye must have heard his rapid breathing and grunts of frustration through the door. Considering what she left him alone with, only one comment seemed appropriate to yell:

"You better not be jacking off in there without me, Savage!"

He couldn't help but smile once again at her lewd humor. _I can't lose that._ " He looked back at the last sentence on the paper. For the first time, he wasn't scared to admit it." _You're right. I can't do this without her. I love her. I…. Love Skye_." Pulling the page out of the journal, he balled it up and threw it away. " _Let's redue tonight's entry."_

* * *

"Hey?! Get it? 'Jack'-ing off?! I crack myself u-"

The loud bang of the door froze her. She quickly glanced over to see Jack's muscular torso in the doorway. He had the same diabolical grin she had earlier as his gaze felt down her toned body. The fact that water dripped straight from her hips onto the floor without touching her legs made him ache. His uncharacteristic growl snapped her out of her shock. "Jack! What are-"

Before she could continue, Jack grabbed her damp body and brought her breast to his mouth. His unworn teeth roughly gripped her as she fell to her knees. "Nnnnnngh! Jack….." She felt small claws grip her ear and pull her head back. A faint yelp was replaced by lustful pants when the smaller mammal buried his muzzle into her neck and inhaled. She returned the gesture and gripped the back of his head for leverage. Another rough tug brought her ear to his lips.

"You like being my chew stick, don't you puppy?"

"Nn-hmm."

His claws pressed harder on her ear as he brought her closer. She could feel the moisture of his breath in her ear, making her tingle between her strong legs. She groped his impressive length as hard as she could, making the wet spot on his pants grow. He still didn't let up:

"What was that?!"

"Nnngh Yeeesssssss…"

"Say it…."

"I like i-"

"Louder!"

"I LOVE BEING YOUR CHEW STICK, JACK! BITE ME MORE!"

"Hmm." With a satisfied smirk, the strong hare casually lifted Skye back to her feet. Her heat was dripped onto the tile as he took a couple steps back. Standing in the doorway, he smugly responded:

"Good girl. Good luck dealing with that."

Jack slammed the door behind him.

* * *

He sat back at the desk. "Hmm. That should give me some more time to redo this." As he began to write, a grin of approval overcame him as he heard the shower roar to life and the moaning resume.

For once, his heart didn't burn as he wrote. He stuffed his heart into six stanzas in HIS words, not the demons.

For once, he was happy.

For once, he was at peace.

For once. . .

"Hello?"

. . .the demon laid silent.


	5. Brighter Skies: Chapter 5

"Oh Jaaaaack? Your chew stick is here-" she sensuality walked out of the bathroom in her nightgown to find Jack was laid back in his bed. His muscular chest and abs rose and fell as he snored. She threw her hands up and huffed, "unbelievable!"

Dropping the act, she strolled towards couch that she's called home the past week. She was very grateful for her coworkers uncharacteristic hospitality, but tomorrow marked the one week maximum she had promised to stay. "Well, I did just say one week," she muttered to herself. "He's probably happy to have me out of this one room shack anyways..."

* * *

Skye Winters,  
Your apartment is ready for you to move back! We apologize for the inconvenience.  
-Recieved Wed. 11:32am.

* * *

She couldn't believe how long ago the text came in. "This long and you still couldn't ask him…." Throwing her face into a folded shirt, she growled. "Dammit Jack, why can't I just stay! NO! No, Skye. He doesn't want you here. All you've done and he STILL hasn't responded..."

Reaching up to her still tender ear, her mind raced on how Jack could possibly feel. Annoyed? No doubt. Unhappy? Definitely…. Does he want me?...

She felt truly defeated by her confusion. "I don't know what he wants anymore. But I know it isn't me. I'm sorry, Jack."

Placing the folded shirt into her suitcase, she went to the closet to gather the rest of her things. One by one, Skye pulled various clothes, weapons, shoes, and jewelry from the closet that she somehow managed to fit in one suitcase.

Only one item remained on the closet floor. Even in darkness, she could make out the twisted fibers that ran along the object. She choked back her sorrow when she realized what the item was before bringing it into the light: the long white rope, tied into a better executed noose than she first saw. The same item they argued about last week. The same item that could take Jack away from her. Skye's hands shook as Jack's voice echoed in her head.

" _...I'm broken..._ "

" _...if I had any confidence..._ "

" _...I'm just trying to convince myself not to...hurt me..._ "

" _...Don't ever leave my side..._ "

" _...Don't ever leave my side._ "

She looked over at Jack. Although it was dark, she could see his face twitch as if he was having a nightmare. Her glare quizzically switched between him and the rope, as if she was forming a plan.

"No…. I'm tired of wondering. I don't care what he wants…. I'm not leaving him like this. "

* * *

Faint beams of light flooded through the open door of the apartment. She awoke to find that Jack had already started his morning routine: at 6:00am he got up and started on his first bottle of Crown Royal. He finished that bottle by the time he completed his morning stretches. Skye barely got dressed by the time he reached for his second.

The rising sun stung her eyes as she walked through the already opened door. In the glare she made out the silhouette of Jack doing pull-ups from the balcony above them. Below him sat the second bottle. Empty.

"I'm heading to Snarlbucks, Jack. What do you want back for breakfast?"

His voice was already slurred, "I don't want nothin'."

"I don't care, Jack. You need to eat. And why the hell are you drinking!? We have to be at the ZPD by noon!"

"C'mooooooon, it's only seven! Get off my dick!"

"Make me," she winked. Her eyes finally adjusted to the sun. He still wore the torn open shirt from the night before, showing his twitching chest as he continued his pull-ups. "I'm getting you a salad and a detox tea. Extra strength. And you **better** drink it all this time."

Ignoring his profane mumbling, began her walk towards down the block towards the all-familiar Snarlbucks.

* * *

"SKYYYYYEEEEE! What's up guuuuurl!"

"Hey Carol! You really need to look into decaf."

Skye chuckled at the familiar face. She grew a friendship with the cashier near Jack's apartment. Carol was an ecstatic Gray Fox who almost always yelled, exposing a piercing on her tongue.

"What did I tell you, girl?! I'm doing quality control," Carol said with a high pitched giggle. "What can I get ya?"

"You mean 'quantity' control. Let me get two salads, a mocha latte, and an extra-strength detox tea."

"Wow, extra strength, huh? Someone had a fun night," her friend winked.

Skye's ears shot back in embarrassment. Technically she wasn't far from the truth. "Umm… uhh, I wish! It wasn't from a lack of trying though. No, this is for him again."

"Geez, are you still babysitting that sad sack?! That damn rabbit has always been a pain in my tail in one way or another."

Skye would usually blow off the negative things Carol had to say about him, but today she couldn't help but frown as she continued:

"At least it's you coming in every morning instead of that miserable rabbit. Every time he stumbles in here he kills my vibe. I feel sorry for you, to be honest. At least it's already been a week, right? Don't forget about your girl! You have my number! We can hang out as long as you leaved the Beanie Baby at-"

"Just get the damn drinks, Carol!"

The whole coffee shop grew quiet as Skye snapped towards the cashier. The naive fox didn't noticed the snarl on Skye's face as she continued to gather the order. "Geez, what does it look like I'm doin'?!" Carol's high pitched giggle somewhat relaxed her as she concluded: "I swear, every day you crawl out of that rabbit hole, you act a little more like Jack. He rubbing off on you?"

Taking her order, Skye couldn't help but give her friend something to think about.

"Maybe I like him rubbing on me."

Before Carol could question her motives, she left out of the door.

* * *

Skye's good mood returned to her by the time Jack was back in sight. He hung upside-down from the balcony, doing crunches as if it was nothing. Thankfully, the number of bottles below him didn't change in her absence. He stopped, hanging as they made eye contact. His cold, glassy eyes met her deep blue gaze. They stared at another until he gave her a nervous grin.

With a warm grin, she finally spoke. "Come inside, Spiderman. Time to eat."

"Fine, fine. Mary Jane was more into me anyways," Jack smugly responded, still slurring his words. He released the balcony, hitting the guardrail by the walkway on his way to the ground. Skye choked back a laugh as she gave him his tea.

Jack genuinely had a hatred towards the Detoxification Tea that Skye forced him to drink. It tasted like charcoal mixed with Arizona, and the almost immediate effects caused him to be nauseous. With one dreadful swallow, he polished off the evil drink.

Skye sat both of their plates across from each other on the table. "Sorry, forgot to ask for carrots. Hope you don't mind."

"I'll live," He mumbled as he plopped into his chair. Nausea already started to flood him as he focused on the salad. He frowned at the pile of leaves and grapes.

"Salad for breakfast. Forced to drink detox tea. You know, this is my problem!"

"Oh, God!" She threw her head back, frustrated, realizing was about to happen. Every morning since she's been here Jack gave her the EXACT same drunken rant. The first time the self-diminishing speech ran her from the room; now she mouthed along as he slurred his way through the routine:

" _Every day I go through this dead-end disaster I call a life. And for what?! So I can show up to work again? To pay for my one room apartment?! ALONE!? Bullshit! I'm here because I'm too scared to do it. Too scared to leave. So HERE I AM! Enjoying every fucking moment people turn me away._ "

Skye mocked him as he counted out his grievances on his paw:

" _My family. The Police Academy. That one bunny with the huuuge rack at works at Zoo-nited. You're the only one who's willing to deal with me. And what do I do in return? Cry, lie, and complain! You sit there and try to sober me up. You try to cheer me up. And…. I don't know why! You treat me better than I deserve. And for what? FOR WHAT?!_ "

Skye couldn't help but laugh to herself when he concluded his rant. She almost felt flattered the way he talked about her every single morning. She leaned over her plate to take another bite of her salad when he unexpectedly amended:

"You know this is why I can't love you, right?"

She completely froze, fork in mid-air, when she heard…. that word…. come out of his mouth. She could only listened as he continued to break her heart.

"How am I supposed to love you if I can't even love myself!? It's hopeless Skye! I want to, I really do. I just…. I…. What are we supposed to do about kids!? What would they say when they see daddy breaking down?! What if this is hereditary…. Do you know WHY I can't love you? I can't love you because I'm not good enough for you to…. love me bac…."

Jack's voice trailed off as he started to lean to the right. He grabbed at the table for balance but only gripped the table cloth as he collapsed from his chair. Plates and silverware crashed to the floor as he bounced off the ground.

Skye sat still in the same position, although her plate sat on the floor. The snores that came from Jack was the only sound that broke the ominous silence.

"He…. Loves me? But…. Why? Just because I'm nice to him? I'm a fox! No, that can't be it…. He said he can't love me. That's different than saying…. Wait, why the hell not?! Because 'I can't love you back'?...

….Do I love you back?"

* * *

After about fifteen minutes, Jack finally stirred on the carpet. He raised his head to look around at the mess around him. His breakfast littered the floor along with his partner's. He groaned,

"What the hell? What happened? I didn't even…. Skye? Skye!"

"I'm still here, Jack." She hasn't stirred from her chair. Her face sagged. It was obvious that he didn't remember a thing.

"What happened? Did I make this mess?"

"Yep."

"Skye I'm so sorry! Here let me help."

The detox tea seemed to fulfill it's duty. He seemed less intoxicated as he frantically grabbed at the various items he had scattered not long ago. Filling his hands, he walked on his knees towards the trash can. Skye noticed that he stopped in his tracks when he reached the can. She knew what he was looking at.

Jack's stomach turned from the contents that were already in the trash. The noose that haunted him laced the bottom of the can. It seemed as if someone has cut it into six-inch sections, rendering it useless. _Who could've…._

Realizing the only possible reason this could've happened, he sprung to his feet and disappeared into the bathroom. Skye sighed deeply as exaggerated vomiting sounds came through the bathroom door.

"Jack, you dumb bunny."

She continued his efforts of picking up the floor. Picking up the ruined salad, the only thing she could think about is how she was going to make him eat. When she gathered the table cloth, a book she had never seen before was left on the floor. It was definitely worn on the edges from repeated use. Jack called for her before she could investigate the book.

"What the hell is in this tea?! How much am I supposed to throw up?"

"Depends. How much did you drink?"

". . .oh god."

"Hurry up so you can take a shower. I like the way rabbit smells but we have to leave by 9:30."

"BITE ME!"

She wanted to poke fun at the fact that that's his hobby, but decided he's had enough for one morning. Grin on her face, she grabbed the book and looked at the front. It was labeled "Do not read!" in big, sloppy letters.

"This isn't a book. That is this? A diary?"

She cracked open the book to a page that was dated to last night. In the middle of the wrinkled page sat a small poem. Skye covered her muzzle in disbelief of the content before her. She couldn't believe that Jack would right this. The five stanza poem buried itself into her heart as she read it again and again. It didn't change.

"Hey, Skye?" Jack called again from the bathroom.

"Yeah?"

"...You don't HAVE to leave today, do you?"

She looked up at the door, realizing what he was asking her. She had no debate on what she wanted anymore.

"Actually, they told me it would be a little longer on the apartment," she lied, "Hope you don't mind?"

"...It's ok…. Gives me a chance to redo breakfast. On me, of course."

"Pfft, literally!"

"Bite me, Skye!"

"Hey, keep your kinks out of this!"

She almost smiled from ear to ear at the banter between them. Her eyes met the poem once again. Reading it one more time, she finally knew she was making the right decision. She did love him back. Somehow, she was going to let him know. She whispered, "Don't worry, I won't leave your side."

* * *

 _A radiant sun,  
That dries my eyes  
Through fluffy white clouds  
In deep blue skies_

I only find  
What hides this love  
In the dark, sad clouds  
I see above.

I drink until  
They seem to brighten.  
To no avail,  
My weak heart tightens.

Just until recently  
I've given up.  
Until I found my angel  
With the heart of an arctic pup.

Her radiant smile.  
Her loving tries.  
Her fluffy white fur.  
Her deep blue eyes.

I need not search  
For another lie.  
She truly is. . .

 _ **My Brighter Skies**_

* * *

"...Skye why is my shampoo bottle sticky?"


	6. Something Missing: Chapter 1

"Oh…. Umm…. It's you. You must be Mr. Savage. Please come in."

"Thank you."

"I'm glad to finally get you in here. How many appointments have we bailed on?"

"Mmm, four," Jack sighed as he focused on the room. The doctor's office resembled a personal study; books lined the walls along with beautiful paintings and potted plants. In the middle of the room sat a luxurious leather recliner and a chaise lounge. His heart raced as he sat down on the soft lounge. _No turning back now_.

He studied the gray fox that sat in the recliner across from him. She was a very attractive vixen with a slim build and amazing smile. The way she ran her tongue piercing across her canines made his nose twitch curiously. _Dammit, Skye_ …. For some reason, the fox had a look of guilt on her face.

"My name is Carol…. As you may know, I do work at Snarlbucks, but I'm studying for my M.D. in Psychology. There's no need to worry; I am more than capable of helping you."

"I don't need your help. Just sign that I showed up and stop wasting our time." Jack refused to make eye contact with the doctor.

"Mr. Savage, you know as well as I do that you need to be here. That was the deal-"

"I know, I know. 'You have to come here to work in joint with the ZPD.' 'Chief's orders.' 'You're sick.' 'Blah blah blah.' I'm here aren't I?"

Carol knew this patient would be a hassle, so she let his criticism slide. "Tell me, Jack. Why do you have to come here? Why would he feel that you, over any other mammal, would need to visit me?"

He opened his mouth to answer, but nothing came out. It was such an odd request. No one ever made him say out right what was wrong. Digging through all the possible lies he could muster, he found nothing. _Why do I need help? Why do they feel that I need help? I try so hard to put on a happy face and they still notice. I can't try harder. I'm. . ._

"I... I'm tired. I mean…. I'm literally tired. I try so hard to look happy. I smile for people. I try to convince myself not to-"

"You try to LOOK happy? You need to try to BE happy, Mr. Savage. That's something we'll come back to." She looked down to write something on her clipboard, licking her canines in the process. "So you say 'tired'. That's a unique descriptor. Do you mind explaining what you mean by that?"

With a smirk, he responded: "So sitting here and answering questions is supposed to fix me?"

"It's the first meeting, Mr. Savage. I need to learn more about you. Don't change the subject."

"Shouldn't I buy you dinner first?" Failing to draw a response from her, he responded: "I'm… I'm just tired. I…" The warm sensation on his heart grew more intense with each breath. His face fell into his paws, "Please don't make me say it."

* * *

 _Go ahead, Jack. Tell her how weak you are._

"Shut up…"

 _Tell her how much of a waste of space you are. How useless. How pathetic. How-_

"I said SHUT UP!"

* * *

Carol began to write frantically as she observed Jack…. argue with himself?

" _Patient seems to exhibit major psychiatric disturbances. Talking to oneself. Major swing in demeanour. Rapid breathing. Hasn't looked me in the eye once. Crying._ "

She looked up from her page, wondering if she bit off a little more than she could chew. "Mr. Savage, are you-"

Jack finally snapped, "I'm sick of living, alright! I try so hard to smile, and kiss ass, and hide my crap! And for what?! So I can die later instead of doing it now? Bullshit! I lay down so sore…. Sooore….. at night from a long day of fighting…. And I wake up…. **ANGRY**!" Jack sprung to his feet, "I'm ANGRY in the mornings! Why?! Because I woke the FUCK UP! Now I have to deal with this shit another day! Another day of torture! Maybe it'll get better? **BULLSHIT**! Why do I put myself through this!? So I can deal with her?! **BULLSHIT**! Because I wanna be with HER!? **BULL. FUCKING. SHIT**! That's all this is! I want her! I need her! So now I can't FUCKING leave because of **HER**!" Once again his breathing overtook him, leaving him frozen where he stood.

The room grew silent aside the student's frantic attempt to write every word down.

" _The booming roar that came out of this rabbit is shocking! Potty mouth, though. Who is 'her'? Mother? Spouse?_ "

Carol's feeling of fear towards Jack's strong, masculine voice turned into a curiosity. After she finished, she spoke in a soft, diffusing manner. "We're going to watch our language from now on, okay? Now, you say 'her', Mr. Savage? I didn't even question you about someone and you bring this person up. Whoever this is seems important enough to stay, right? Who is this person? What is this woman to you?"

The question brought his angelic vixen into his mind, quickly cooling his heart and calming his soul. He imagined her warm embrace around him, hiding him from himself. The way those blue marbles looked at him…. Plopping back down onto the lounge, Jack looked into the amber eyes of the doctor for the first time in the entire visit.

"Her?...She's everything…."

* * *

"I hope you know that… You're so important to me. I don't know what I'm going to do without you…. You're so sexy, too... Mmm, baby…. I can't wait to get inside you again…. "

"Jack, quit talking to the damn car and come on!"

Jack finished marveling the black sedan one last time before returning his partner's side. The pair finally made to the Zootopia Police Department to return the vehicle and speak to the Chief. He could feel his anxiety lowering his blood pressure at the sight of the same building that crushed his dreams five years back. Sunglasses covered his melancholy gaze as he stared at the front door.

"Calm down there, Jack. Fall in love with that car any more and you'll end up gnawing on the steering wheel or something. They'll never give us it back then!" Before he could give her her expected response she continued, "I know, I know: I'll bite you later, handsome. Come on! It's already 10:35! Chop chop!"

Her canines reflected in the sun when she gave him her smug grin. She glared down at the rabbit to feed off of his annoyed reaction, only to find him still, staring at the front doors. His chiseled chest rose and fell at a swift pace, although his breathing was still silent. All the joy slowly bled from Skye's morning, realizing she was still dealing with a broken bunny. She took the shades of his striped face, revealing the pain he was hiding. The sorrow in his eyes…. He truly looked pitiful.

"Jack…. You know you don't have to go in there, right? I can-"

"...Skye I'm sorry for whatever I did this morning…. I don't remember what I did, but it's making you act different. I don't know what I ran my mouth and said; just know that I'm so sorry...I ruin everything…. I can't do anything right…. And these bastards helped remind me of that."

Skye purposely avoided talking about the morning's events and gave the somber rabbit a hug. She felt his breathing immediately slow to her touch. "Jack you have nothing to worry about. We already proved them wrong! They turned us down, and now look at us. They're calling US for help! It can't get any better than that, right?"

She pulled herself away from his arms and looked him in the eye. No emotion. No reaction. Putting his shades back on, he sighed, "Let's just get this over with."

"That's the dull spirit!" Skye sarcastically cheered in a final attempt to make him smile. He didn't even huff as they started towards the doors.

* * *

"BAD JOKE SATURDAY! Why are seals the best to hang out with?... They always go CLUBBING!"

"For god sakes, what's wrong with you!?"

"Pffft come on! That's funny! So what do you wanna do today, carrots?"

"I just want to relax if that's okay with you? I spent all night writing up this report."

"Aww, are you getting soft on me? Don't tell m- Clawhauser! How you doing, buddy?"

"Oh, hey you two! I thought you had today off?"

The red fox leaned against the dispatcher's desk flashing a carefree smile. He wore a dark tie that didn't quite go with his green tropical shirt. Peeking over the desk next to him was a gray bunny with huge, lavender eyes. Her nose twitched at the scent of donuts and coffee that somehow always lingered around the obese cheetah's station.

"Yeah, but SOMEONE insisted we ruin our weekend by coming up here and- OW!"

The fox rubbed his arm as the bunny continued, "We have to turn in this report to the Chief."

"Oh from that drug case? You closed it already?!"

"C'mon, Bengie! Look at who you're talking to." The fox gave a grand gesture towards himself.

The cheetah stared at the amazing duo in disbelief. "No. Way! You two are awesome! You probably didn't even need to work with-

Oh. Fudge! You two can't be here!"

The pair looked at each other in confusion from the cheetah's sudden urgency. "What do you mean, Clawhauser?"

"Chief ordered me to keep you off the premises until after noon! Oh I can't believe I forgot." The cheetah hopped anxiously in his chair, stuffing another donut into his muzzle. "You need to leave now before-"

"... Before what? Hello? Earth to Clawhauser?"

The rotund cheetah froze with crumbs flowing from his teeth; his eyes fixed past the fox towards the front door. The pair followed his stare to see what shook the predator from his religious donut fixation when they saw them enter.

The red fox looked at, who hands-down had to be, the most beautiful vixen he had ever seen. She held her head high, swinging her amazing hourglass figure with confidence. The jeans she wore hugged her hips perfectly, and had cuts across the thighs. The fox had a beautiful white coat that almost shone in the light. And her eyes….

The lavender eyes of the bunny were fixed on the hare that followed close beside the arctic fox. Although he wore sunglasses, his striped fur still helped define his handsome, emotionless face. He wore a gray dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, showing his sculpted arms. She's never seen a rabbit with such a muscular build. The pair didn't seem notice them.

"What are they doing here? Didn't the Chief tell them to be here at noon?"

"They're ZIA," the dispatcher responded, "they're always early for everything. Stricter rules over there, I guess."

"I see. They even look serious. I just wish Bogo would just let us meet them…"

The gray rabbit's ears hung back as she hugged her folder. She noticed that her partner, however, had a suspicious grin on his face. His emerald eyes told her all she needed to know. "Okay, what half-baked scheme do you have now?"

"Don't worry, carrots, we'll get to meet them. Just follow my lead."


	7. Something Missing: Chapter 2

"... and every day she would cheer me up like that. She's the only important thing in my life at this point…."

Carol continued to write her notes, mumbling questions to herself in the process. "I honestly feel more comfortable knowing you have strength in something, Mr. Savage. We will be coming back to that before we leave. Now, in your past examinations the word 'attack' often comes up. I'm assuming I just witnessed a mild one considering it didn't debilitate you. Do you mind explaining these occurrences to me?"

She observed his eyes return to the floor as he processed the question.

"Avoids eye contact when questioned. Out of shame? Trauma? Question later. Also seems to engage in breathing techniques when stressed. Slow. Deliberate. Calming? Question later."

His sigh preluded the pain he was about to describe. "Sinking and hopeless. I guess my blood pressure drops pretty bad because I literally feel a sinking feeling before it happens. I get light headed too… Then the pain in my chest…." Jack gripped his shirt, feeling another wave approaching fast. "It's so warm for some reason when it envelops me. I try to just breathe to blanket the pain, but it's like alcohol to my open wounds…. It hurts so much. And after it I feel so sore-"

"Okay," the fox interrupted; she didn't bother to record his response into her notes. "You're just giving me the physical aspects of these attacks, Mr. Savage. Tell me about what's going on inside your mind when this happens."

"In my mind?" Jack paused another brief moment to form his answer. The vixen noticed the hare's face grow blank as he stared deeper into the floor. Finally, he spoke:

"I'm fighting, doc. I'm fighting him and I'm losing…. He talks me down. Reminds me of how much of a failure I am. How I ruin everything around me…. Always telling me to kill myself. Mocking me day and night until I break down. I tell him to stop but…. he keeps going…. I feel so hopeless. He's too strong..."

"Patient describes another person when questioned about incidents. He also seems withdrawn. Schizophrenia? Access and research symptoms later. Suicidal thoughts, no actions to report on. Monitor for change."

Carol looked back up from her page for him to resume. She recognized that probably won't happen anytime soon.

Jack was already leaned over with his elbows on his knees, hyperventilating with weak, useless pants. He lightly convulsed, surrendering to the pain that now shadowed his body and soul from the bright world around him. She simply leaned back into her recliner, patiently waiting for the rabbit to come out of his episode .

"Patient has been in acute physiological shock for about five minutes. Trigger: asking about attacks. Possible serotonin imbalances. Put in request for SSRI's. Avoid trigger."

Carol sat her pen down and made an attempt to distract his troubled mind. "Ok, Mr. Savage, let's have a change of pace. What kind of music do you like? I love Gazelle…."

* * *

"What do you think he's doing in there?"

"I don't even wanna know."

Jack and Skye hesitated to the sounds of Gazelle and giggles inside the Chief of Police's door. 'You're a great dancer, 'Chief Bogo,' repetitively came from the app he was on. The thought of their arid superior dancing to pop music at 10:40 in the morning was absolutely comical to Skye. By the mischievous look on Jack's face, she could tell he had something different in mind. That handsome mug was far too familiar.

"What are you gonna do, Jack?"

Without hesitation, the strong hare smacked the oak door with an open palm. The resonant bang was complimented by the plunging of a large body to the floor. She didn't notice the profane mumbling that resulted from under the door. Skye was mesmerized by how wicked her partner was.

"Now that wasn't very nice, Agent."

"Never claimed to be."

"...Jack I love you."

"Uhhh, what?!"

"I said 'Let's go.'"

* * *

The flustered buffalo managed to return to his chair before a more pleasant knock followed. He responded in his low, unmistakable voice. "Who is it?"

The door cracked open to reveal a fluffy white tail, "Your favorite fox, of course!"

Irritation quickly grew in his voice when he saw the gorgeous vixen enter, "You're early, agents." He was already sick of the habitual insidious tone all foxes seem to share.

"Aww, Chief! We missed you, t-"

Skye was abruptly cut off by a charismatic voice. "Hey Chief, I got these urgent reports for you!"

A red fox scurried to the buffalo's desk, folder in hand. The officer had a slim build, making his captivating grin appear larger than it was. His graceless entry almost eclipsed how charming he was…. Almost. The vulpine froze when he realized who he rushed by during his entrance. The vixen he admired earlier was, somehow, more stunning up close. He put on the best confounded look he could muster. "Well, well, what do we have here? Chief, you replacing us already!?"

"Dammit Wilde," was Bogo's only response, seeing right through his innocent grin. He only slid deeper into his chair when the silver bunny also appeared in the door. "Can you two follow ONE order!?... I guess now's as good a time as any…. Come in." The regret on the Chief's face was hard to miss. "Officers, this Agent Skye Winters and…. Jack. ZIA."

The red fox made no hesitation in introducing himself. "Well hel-lo Agent Winters! I'm always glad to meet fellow law enforcement, especially when they're as beautiful as yourself." The vulpine broke his suave smirk to kiss her paw. With a seductive growl, he introduced, "Officer Nick Wilde. ZPD."

"Oh! A friendly one I see…," Skye bit her lip at the handsome smirk Nick kept. She glanced out of the corner of her eye, hoping to draw a possessive reaction from Jack. Nothing. " Call me Skye…"

Nick noticed how detached she was from her words. He followed her concerning stare to the rabbit next to her. He was somewhat taller than his partner and more well-built than Nick would like to admit. However, not wanting to be out done for the vixen's attention, he leaned towards the striped hare. "And this adorable guy must be Jack. How are you doing buddy?"

Jack unwavered from his apathetic mug. He removed his shades, backing down the fox with his vacuous stare. The pale blue eyes that stared at Nick somehow projected weariness and hostility. The uncomfortable bore of the hare was all Nick needed to casually retreat behind his own rabbit. He played off his cowardliness:

"Uhh, does he bite?"

"Oh yeah! Watch your tail." Skye joked-not joked as he gave him a wink. Nick didn't notice he gesture; he refused to let the first antisocial rabbit he's ever seen out of his sight. " _What the fluff is his problem_?" He watched him as he turned towards the Chief's desk. The lower, grating voice the hare spoke with didn't ease Nick suspicions.

"Hello, Bill. I'm assuming Officer Swinson finally earned his pilot license?"

A chill grew over the room from the audacity Jack exhibited. Nick didn't know what to make of the statement. i"Did he just call the Chief by his first name? What the hell's going on!?"/i Bewildered, he searched the faces around him for answers. Everybody in the room exhibited disappointment instead of shock. Even the Chief's conscience-stricken face availed nothing.

"It's AGENT Jack, Chief." Jack continued, "I don't care if you respect it or not, but you will acknowledge my hard-earned title.

"Jack…. Not now." Skye placed a hand on his tense shoulder to hale him. With a resisting moan, he returned to his partner's side, but he didn't hold his tongue.

"Why is this 'as good a time as any' to have these two here? What's going on?"

The Chief grinned, not showing a bit of anger towards the buck. "Hmm, nothing still gets past you, does it Savage? Good, you'll need it. I got off the phone with the mayor about an hour ago. He admired the immediate closing of the case he issued you all-"

"Just doing our job, sir!" The silver doe in the back finally spoke up. The enthusiastic officer had her right arm to her temple in a proud salute. Jack snickered at how proud the adorable rabbit was. Although petite, she still had a attractive figure to go with that cute smile. He caught himself looking at her fitted uniform when Nick interjected.

"Judy Hopps, everybody! Give her a round of applau- Ow! Stop hitting me!"

"Yes well," the Chief continued, "He liked your work so much he decided to pull the trigger on a proposal he drew up years ago. 'Drugs are a major problem in our communities. I will do all everything within my power to help cleanse the streets of this plague.' Hmm, If I had a nickel…" He reached into his desk and pulled out a thick folder. "The mayor signed for the formation of an elite Drug Task Force within the city."

"And you want us to work with the division.." Jack huffed distastefully. He was sick of being assigned to 'assist the locals'. The ZIA, just like any other agency he's worked with, didn't believe in the abilities of him and his fox partner. They were commonly thrown around from biome to biome just for intelligence gathering and assistance.

"Not exactly…." Bogo tossed him the heavy file. The front had a seal he's never seen before. The border read: _Drug Enforcement of Zootopia (DEZ). Senior Official: Jack Savage_.

"You four ARE the division."

The group looked at each other quizzically, barely believing what they just heard. Foxes and rabbits, both unheard of and disrespected in the departments they were already in, now populate the only Drug-Specific Division in the city. They returned their startled faces back towards the Chief, who was equally as annoyed by the sudden reassignment.

"I recommend that you get acquainted with your new partners. Everything you'll need, including your first case, is in the folder Agent Savage holds. The ZPD will be here to assist you with any mammal-power and assistance you require. Good luck, officers. We appreciate your services."

Shock kept the smaller mammals quiet as they stared at the thick folder. In there held the future for the unlikely group. Uncertainty stained the faces of the two inexperienced officers, not quite sure if they're ready for such responsibility. The silence in the room didn't help the news sink in any faster.

"Okay, so we're our own agency now!" Skye finally spoke up, "We have to make some serious decisions here…..Are we gonna have Bad Joke Saturday?"

"Heck yeah we're having that, beautiful!" Nick ecstatically confirmed before the two rabbits could reject.

"Great!" She giggled in excitement. "How much do doctor's charge for circumcisions?

Nothing! They just keep the tips!"

"...Get the hell out of my office."

Both of the foxes exploded in hysterical laughter at the lewd joke. Judy looked at her new rabbit counterpart for some backup with the troublesome duo. He had his face buried in his paw at the very thought of dealing with them. They began to migrate towards the door when Bogo made one last statement:

"Agent Savage…. This is not a private agency. You are under the same Wellness Regulations as the ZPD. That being said, you will still resign as the Senior Officer over the division. On one condition..."

Jack turned to the buffalo, cringing at the thought of what the requirement could be. _He wouldn't say it in front of his guys…. would he?_ His worse fear were once again realized….

"You will be required to either take a Psychological Evaluation or agree to report to a psychiatrist of your choice on a regular basis. I know it's not ideal, but-"

"WHY THE **FUCK** WOULD YOU SAY THAT IN FRONT OF-"

Skye hastily pulled Jack towards her body and covered Jack's muzzle before he could dig himself a deeper hole. "We'll be in touch. Nice seeing ya, Chief." Setting the hostile hare down, the group retreated to the door before Bogo could respond.


	8. Something Missing: Chapter 3

"Yeah I'm fine…"

"Are you able to continue, Mr. Savage?"

"Uh-huh…"

"Come on, sit up for me. Let's take some deep breaths."

Defeat was plastered across Jack's face when he finally managed to pull his head up. Carol, for the first time, truly felt sorry for the bunny that would ruin her mornings. The hopelessness in his pale, bloodshot eyes mirrored the turmoil she felt for him. She placed her notes on the floor and leaned towards the troubled mammal.

"Mr. Savage, excuse me for saying this, but how the hell have you been getting by like this!? I've never seen any mammal with the problems you have lead a normal life."

Jack chuckled as he wiped a remaining tear from his eye. "To be fair, you haven't seen many mammals at all." The handsome grin returned to his face when he looked at the doctor. Her wearisome feeling didn't leave despite his dry humor.

"I've seen enough mammals to know this isn't healthy. There's no way you're able to function like this in everyday life."

"It's not that hard to hide. I just don't talk to people."

"I highly doubt that, Mr. Savage. Rabbits are very outspoken and social creatures. Besides, hiding from the world isn't normal. Speaking of which, what do your coworkers make of your distress?"

"That's easy: most of them don't know about it at all."

Carol shook her head in aspiration as she picked up her notes from the floor. "'Most of them don't know.' So, what, they're just fully understanding of your unusual behavior? They don't say a word when you sit there silently?"

"Well…."

* * *

"What the heck's your problem, bunny? Are you just an ass to everybody or am I missing something?"

"Nick, let it go."

"Don't defend him! What's this guy's deal!?"

Nick could no longer hold his tongue against Jack's discourteous attitude. Although he kept his suave tone, his annoyance with Jack apathetic demeanour was evident. Even as he scolded, the hare stared at him indifferently.

Skye and Judy, who were actually informed of the grounds for Jack's actions, patiently stood outside the Chief's as the two males squared off in the hallway. Inquisitive stares quickly came and went as pedestrians scurried past the frustrated predator.

"You come into our Chief's office and... what? Try to get us all fired!? He hasn't done anything to you! For fluff's sake!"

The two females traded discerning looks when Nick mentioned the Chief's actions, or lack of. Judy has yet to respond to Jack's obscene conduct. Curiously, Skye began to mouth to the doe 'Did the Chief tell you-', only to be cut off by a joyless nod. The vixen exhaled solemnly at the fact at anybody other than her knew of his struggles. The unfamiliar pair shared an acknowledging gaze until Nick ignorantly exclaimed:

"Are you screwed up in the head or something, you crazy rabbit!?"

Gloominess turned to urgency when they realized Nick has blindly gone too far during his rant. Skye moved in front of Nick in an attempt to diffuse the situation.

"Whoa there, big guy!" She lovingly ran her long claw down the buttons of his Hawaiian shirt. "There's no need to get all worked up. We're all a team here, right? Don't let him ruin the good news."

A seductive flash of her canine-filled grin was all Nick needed to find his own sly smirk. "I guess we are a team. A team with a good looking fox!" Nick took a moment to blatantly look down Skye's impressive body, "...You're cute too, I guess."

She rolled her eyes at his self-flattery. With a shove, she migrated back to the silver rabbit. The look on the doe's face was anything but pleasant. She bit her bottom lip as she stared enviously at the attractive vixen.

Although she didn't know what to make of it, Skye still attempted to calm her as well. "Boys, am I right?! I don't think we've formally met. I'm Skye Winters: of the DEZ." The way she proudly huffed her new title made the little doe chuckle.

"Get out of here! I'm also DEZ! Judy Hopps."

"Oh really?! I haven't seen you around the water cooler."

"Yeah, it's my first day!"

The two females shook hands, still in a fit of giggles over their new partnership. Judy was truly enjoying Skye's friendly personality, although she rather her spend less of it on Nick. While they continued their childish banter, Nick was still hawking Jack. He was returned a cold glare for his most recent comment.

The stare was cut off when Judy finally approached him. Her oversized purple eyes were hard not to get lost in, and the way her joy beamed from her smile was contagious.

"So where did you wanna go, Agent Savage!?"

"Urr, what?"

"Skye was telling us how you were gonna buy us breakfast. Where did you have in mind?"

Jack's muzzle dropped when he turned to the manipulative vixen. While he was preoccupied with Nick, Skye had offered his breakfast proposal to the rest of the group. She had her beautiful, innocent-fox look on her face, knowing he would accept the change in terms. _Ugh! Dammit Skye…. Fine. Two can play at this game._

"Well," Jack began, looking into Skye's mesmerizing eyes, "The original offer was for just me and Skye." Her ears shot back in self-reproach. "I WAS gonna take her to that nice Savanna Plaza that caters to omnivores. You know which one, right Skye? The 'romantic place with the tasty frog legs'?"

"Awh.." She exclaimed in immediate regret of her decision. Jack, however, wasn't finished.

"Then we were gonna go to the park and talk about last night."

"Awwwwwh."

"Maybe see what could've been worked out."

"Awwwwwwwwwh!"

"BUT, since our cute friend will be tagging along, let's go to iHop! They have great carrots there and-"

"AWWWWWWWWWWWH!"

This time both foxes huffed at the thought of going to a rabbit café.

Jack returned his attention to Judy. Her nose twitched hysterically in infatuation towards the hare. It was bad for other species to call bunnies cute, but when another rabbit did…. Especially one as handsome and charming as Jack did….

"That sound good with you?" Jack's low melodic voice snapped her out of her enchantment.

"Oh, yeah! That sounds great, Agent Savage!"

"Please," Jack took her soft paw into his, "Call me Jack."

The red undertone that grew in her ears were evident as her nose continued its furious seizing. Jack expected the envious glare he earned from the defeated vixen. However, what he found intriguing was the green-eyed stare he received from the male fox behind Judy. The lighthearted fox was almost to the point of snarling at him. _Why would he be…._ Deciding not to tempt neither predator any further, he pulled out a set of car keys and placed them in Judy's paws.

"We'll meet you at the car. Me and Skye have to take care of something real quick."

Too flustered to speak, the doe simply nodded and trotted away before she could embarrass herself any further. The way her well groomed tail swung with her toned but made his own nose twitch twice.

The slow burn of Nick's glare didn't yield from Jack until Judy called for him.

"Nick, you coming?"

"Huh? Yeah."

All joy was deprived from his response. The two shared one final glance before the fox stomped away. Skye, who was now at Jack's side, called out to him as he left. "Hey, handsome!" He stopped, but refused to turn his head.

"What…"

"Why are ghost bad at lying?"

He looked at the ceiling, contemplating an answer to the odd question. "I don't know."

"You can see right through them! Ba-dum-tiss."

Nick couldn't resist letting out a laugh to the horrible pun. His tail wagged behind him as he continued along to find Judy.

* * *

"Jack? You didn't laugh. Did you get it?"

"Come on, Skye." The hare started down the opposite end of the hall without looking at the vixen. She got in front of him and walked backwards down the now empty hallway.

"You see, because ghosts are see-through."

"I get it, Skye."

"That's why they can't hide anything!"

"I know, Skye!"

She twirled in self satisfaction before continuing down the seemingly abandoned hall. The doors that lined the walls resembled the Chief's: names were etched into the mostly-glass doors of the high ranking officer's offices. She could only assume the officers were still doing field work considering the lack of life in the halls.

"What are we doing over here again."

"Just keep walking."

"Jack, weren't you supposed to return that car?"

"Eh. Think of it as 'Assistance from the ZPD'."

"Hmm…. Glad to see you're willing to fight for something…."

* * *

Without warning, she heard the nearest door swing open. Skye was shoved into, what looked like, a document storage area. The small room was lined with filing cabinets. In the center sat a metal desk designed for a mid-sized mammal, perhaps for some form of canine. The light was off, but the nontransparent glass on the door provided enough for her to maneuver. The door slammed behind her as she searched for the culprit responsible. She turned, only to find the fogged glass staring back at her.

Worry began to settle upon her when she felt two strong paws clinch her hips. "Hey! What are you-" Before she could react, she was flung off of her feet and sat onto the end of the desk. Two soft, skilled paws made their way into sides of her jeans and grabbed the waistline of her panties. She felt a brief horror from the situation before she saw the silhouette of two long, striped ears in the dim light in front of her. A low, familiar growl echoed in the room as the smaller body pressed itself between her legs.

Skye could only huff faint attempts at Jack's name as he gnawed at her navel. She leaned back and let the demanding muzzle travel up her side until his whole head was in her shirt. The warm sensation of his breath on her waist only magnified the lust in her voice.

"Nnnngh, Jaaack…"

"Shut up!"

The dominating rabbit pulled her off of the table and slammed her back against the larger desk. Skye managed to wrap her thick legs around the hare's waist for leverage. With a hand on his shoulder, she ground her throbbing heat against his. The lustful moans that escaped her lips were a relief from the longing she felt over the forbidden love. Her romanticized praises were cut short when a strong paw grabbed hold of her throat. Her head hit the desk behind her as Jack began to sensually choke her.

"Nnnngh… Mmnnnngh."

She attempted to speak, only to be cut off when Jack put his thumb in her muzzle. She bit down on the soft appendage, taking in the almost earthy taste of his fur. His warm, strong breath in her ear took her out of her seventh heaven as he spoke.

"I know what you were doing…."

The way Jack's groin vibrated when his low, sensual voice rolled made Skye tighten her grip. She wanted more, but could barely talk because of Jack's grip on her.

"Hmm?"

"I'm not stupid. That shit with Nick."

Her hips quit grinding immediately at the mentioning of the other fox.

"I know you were trying to get me jealous…. It worked," she felt his grip tighten on her throat as he continued, "You better not do that ever again or I WILL get you back. I WILL make your next heat A. LIVING. HELL. Do you got me?"

"Nnhm."

"What was that?"

Skye spit his thumb from her teeth and spoke up, "Yes…."

He pulled his paw from her neck and pulled her head up so that she looked him in the eye. Skye never wanted to leave the smell of his breath as it blew by her nose. She inhaled as much as she could before he grabbed her muzzle again. "You know I'm gonna have to punish you for being a bad girl, right?" He tugged at his zipper with his free hand, brushing across her legs that were still wrapped around him.

"Yes…."

His grip tightened.

"Say it right, bitch!"

"Yes! Punish me, Jack! I've been such a bad girl!"

"Good.." The maniacal growl returned when he pried her legs from around him. She let out a yelp as she hit the floor tail-first. Looking up, he saw Jack's grin for the first time. The smirk was oozing with desire and guile. His powerful paw grabbed her snout.

With a delighted groan, he shoved half of the fox's muzzle into the now open zipper of his slacks. Skye was overwhelmed by the earthy aroma mixed with tangy sweat and passion. Grabbing his ass, she shoved her nose deeper onto his groin, rapidly taking in the salty kick of his precum and musk. Never has she been so hypnotized, so enticed, so taken by another mammals smell. She wanted it, needed it even. This was…. her bunny.

Once again the strong paws of her lover pulled her from her pleasure. Using her scruff, Jack removed her muzzle from his pants, laughing as she nipped at the crotch to regain access. Skye whimpered as he lifted her up to her feet and brushed her shoulder off.

"There. Now you get to think about that for the rest of the day."

She looked at him in utter disbelief as he zipped up his pants and turned towards the door.

"But…But…"

"Don't toy with me again, Skye…. I'm serious. Let's go."


	9. Something Missing: Chapter 4

"Don't you care about what they think, Mr. Savage?"

"Does it matter?"

"Of course it does. Why wouldn't it?"

Carol began to feel her competence as a medical professional vanish. The hare talked down his own life as if it didn't matter. Jack simply didn't care anymore, and she didn't know what to do for him. For the first time she felt truly uncomfortable with her patient. She wrote in her notes to help grasp the situation better.

Patient doesn't seem to have any emotion towards everyday life. Nothing seems to really matter to him other than some mystery woman. Struggle seems internal. Dismissing as harm to others. Is he a harm to himself?

"You're doing a lot of writing over there. Am I that interesting to you?"

"Don't flatter yourself." The unamused tone of the fox couldn't cover the true concern she felt. She wasn't sure who would be more disturbed by what she was going to ask anymore. "Mr. Savage, have you ever attempted to take your life?"

The suave quickly left Jack's face from the question. For a moment, he just sat on the edge of the chaise lounge, contemplating how to answer. It was a simple 'yes' or 'no' question, yet so complicated set the same time. Taking his own life?... He laid back and sighed deeply before spilling his heart out.

"I was…. so tired of everything, you know?... Every day. Every night. Week after week. Month after month. Basically since I was a kit I've been struggling to stay happy. Staying happy turned to sometimes being happy. That turned to just not being sad. It got to the point that I was just trying to keep myself sane… and reasonable. I tried to keep away from everybody for when I inevitably snapped…. But I always would…. I ran everybody away…" Jack's voice began to break as he continued. "I was alone…. Truly alone…. I'd have an attack, and look for someone to turn to. Nothing…. I'd just ball up in the corner and tremble…. Tremble at my own presence. I couldn't get away from myself. Me and the voice… the demon…. The worst part was that I woke up every day hoping things would change…. That's what really wore me down, doc. Every day, doing the exact same thing. Expecting a different outcome…. The mere definition of insanity. I had nowhere else to go…. But what truly pushed me over the edge was a dream I kept having…. The dream about my future kids being taken away from me because I was…. Sick. I'm just a burden to everybody… even my family. I have no future…. So I decided to never leave the present…."

"I know but…. That? I…. I'm sorry but I can't grasp why anybody would do that. Why, Jack?"

"Hmmm..." The corner of his mouth contracted in thought. "Certainty? Yeah…. That sounds about right. It's certain, doc. I could get away from myself. Away from the voices. Away from the pain. Just…. Everything. Nothing else can do that for me… Look, imagine walking around in a wool shirt. No…. Twine. Imagine you're wearing a shirt made of tangled twine…. It makes you uncomfortable in your own skin, and no matter what you do it doesn't get better. It drives you crazy just thinking about it, I'm sure? Well, it would drive you crazy… literally insane. Now, imagine death was in front of you with his scythe. Only he could cut the shirt off of you. Once and for all. At first, it seems preposterous. 'No way, no how'…. But.. day after day…. Month after month…. For as long as you can remember…. The offer gets better and better... That's the only way I can describe it to someone who isn't…. me."

Only the clock on the wall reserved the silence in the room. Carol struggled to process the strife Jack described. She couldn't imagine what it must be like to want to…. She studied about how to help someone with these feelings, but nothing prepared her this: the hopelessness.

"So," Carol attempted to regain control of the situation, "you deal with this all of the time? No wonder you look so exhausted-"

" _Oh, oh, oh, oh, ooooh! Try Everything!_

 _Oh, oh, oh, oh, ooooh! Try Everything!"_

Carol was cut off my Gazelle's muffled voice. She pulled her phone from her pocket, shrieking with glee when she saw the screen.

"Mr. Savage, may I..."

"Whatever…"

"What's up guuuuurl! I'm with a client right now, can I call you….

Whoa, whoa, slow down! What's going on?...

When?...

Oh, that's terrible! What's his name?...

Oh, him?! Girl you scared me for a second! Yeah he's here right now…..

Yeah, yeah, he's fine!"

* * *

"Are you sure he's alright?"

"Well, the door was locked so…. Sure?" Nick shrugged as he returned to his seat next to Skye. "It sounded like he was breathing hard in there, though. Eh, oh well. rabbits love their high-fiber diets until it's time to take a dump, I- OW!"

"Nick, stop!" Judy kicked his leg from the opposite side of the table. "People are trying to eat!"

"I was kidding!"

"I don't care! That was gross! I can't..."

Nick and Judy's bickering went unnoticed by Skye as she surveyed the strange restaurant. iHop seemed to be a traditional-style diner that definitely leaned toward catering rabbits and other small prey. Pictures of happy rabbit families enjoying pancakes lined the grey and white walls. The vines that lined the room, lush with pink and blue flowers, were actually intended to be appetizers. She watched as the patrons picked the blooms from the wall and snacked as they waited on their food. She, however, was too far from the walls to benefit from the healthy treats. Although a pair of rabbits accompanied them, the foxes were placed in the center of the dining area. At least one empty table separated the group from the rest of the patrons, who gave them a mix of nervous and furious glares. Skye noticed a group of waitresses arguing amidst themselves around a corner, surely about who will cater to the two predators. However, the dejected look across Skye's face came from the sight of the empty chair in front of her.

Since they left the closet, Jack had started to become more detached and distressed. By the time they made it into the restaurant he was already fighting for his breaths and grabbing his chest. When he inevitably started to whisper to himself, he excused himself and ran to the bathroom before he fully lost control. The new duo didn't know what to make of the situation, but Skye has seen the pain in his cringing face far too often…

He's been in there for ten minutes.

"Wow… There is zero meat in this menu, huh?"

"Of course, Nick! We don't eat meat. They have amazing pancakes, though. Have you been here before Skye?"

She heard the question, but Skye never took her attention off of the chair. "I hope he's alright. He'll be back soon."

Judy crooked her head in confusion to her response. The fox rested her muzzle on her hands as she stared a hole into the chair in front of her.

"Skye?"

"Huh? Oh! No I haven't been here before." Her eyes snapped back to Judy. "I heard it was pretty good, though."

"Good?! Where's the meat?" Nick whined in the chair next to her, scanning the menu for at least some crickets. Skye bumped his arm, causing him to look up into her blue eyes.

"Come on, handsome. Don't you like salad?"

Her playful wink brought the suave back to the saddened fox. "Salad? Don't you know that buff, sexy foxes need to have meat in every meal?"

"Oh, I do. That's why I thought you ate here often."

"Pffffft." Judy choked on her complimentary water trying to hold in her laugh. Nick hid his defeated face back into the menu and made an attempt to change the subject.

"Uhh…. Whatever!" He peaked down at her thick, crossed legs. There's no doubt they were stronger than his own. "So, what's up with Jack? Somebody pee in his cereal or something?" He started to laugh at his own joke before getting kicked by Judy again. "OW! I'm just saying! He's just been moping around since we met him! Wait, does he not like us Skye?! I know Judy's scary, but-"

"He's struggling with something, alright…" Skye finally spoke up, but still stared at the empty seat. "He's never actually sat and talked to me about it… but I've seen enough to know it's not good. That's just his normal self, if you can call it that."

Judy silently took in what she said, hoping to get more information than what Bogo already stated. Nick, however, was too eager for answers to stay quiet. "What is it? And what's his grudge with us? Is it because I'm a fox? Is he an ass to you-"

"If he hasn't told you I won't either!" She snapped at the red fox. His ears shot back, not expecting such a passionate reaction. "He'll tell you when he's ready, but it's not my business to say."

"Oh, I'll get it out of him," Nick grumbled. "You'll see. So, tell us about you then, beautiful! How'd an angel like you end up with that ray of sunshine? A fox and a rabbit? Sounds kinda weird, right carrots?" Judy only rolled her eyes, still silently concealing her jealousy of Nick's flattery.

"Hmmm…" A smile returned her muzzle, thinking about their complicated partnership. "If you ask me, I think HE ended up with ME. He's not exactly a social creature, but, just like you two, we were the two outcast species in the eyes of the ZIA. They picked us up after we left the academy for intelligence-"

"For 'confidential' reasons."

The trio turned to find the stern hare. He glared at Skye with puffy, tired eyes. Skye returned his serious stare with her own, but everybody at the table could hear her wagging tail thump against her wooden chair. Sad or happy, Skye cherished every moment the sheepish hare actually looked her in the eye. The raspy, almost carnal, voice continued:

"You know better than to discuss that, Skye. We'll see if we're allowed to after we go through this folder in depth." She bit playfully towards him, bringing a grin back to his weary face. "Don't get comfortable, everybody. We're heading out on this first case soon." He put the open folder on the table, revealing the high school yearbook photos of six coyotes.

"Prairie Kings?" Judy and Nick immediately recognized the troublesome group from numerous trespassing calls.

"Oh, good. You're already familiar with them."

"Well, yeah, but from just nuisance calls. They like to break into warehouses and smoke. Why them?"

"Hmm. Well, about a year ago, these good ol' scouts started selling weed on the weekends. Me and Skye gathered some info about them a while back, but that Night Howler case called priority away from these kids. I was reading through this case, seems pretty open-shut. Looks like they want the first case to be a freebie to make us look good."

The group took a second to look at the photos. These poor kids were about to ruin the rest of their lives for a little extra spending money. Judy asked what everybody was surely thinking.

"So what's the plan?"

"From what I remember, they sell at the basketball courts on 32nd and Ave. V. Happytown. They work part time's in the evenings, so we have to move now if we're going to get all we need. Skye, you're on Eagle. Bring Wilde with you. Me and Judy are Chameleon."

"Got it." Skye raised from her chair. "Come on, Nick."

"Whoa, whoa! What are we doing!?"

"Ugh!" Skye huffed, "We'll be gathering video from up high, the rabbits will get close enough to gather audio, and we'll piece the evidence together later."

"Right." Jack gathered the contents of the folder from the table. "We get enough for probable cause, then warrant the arrest. Any questions?" The group exchanged glances, waiting for someone to speak up. "Okay then. Be there at noon. Come on, Hopps. Skye, take the car and get the equipment."

The band had serious faces as they made their way towards the door. Jack went to give Skye the keys when she grabbed his wrist and pulled him close. He kept his eyes towards the floor.

"How are you feeling, Jack?"

"I'm fine."

"Promise?"

He finally looked up into her caring eyes. "Skye please be careful out there. Okay?"

"...Of course, Jack."

The pair shared a warm smile before parting ways.


End file.
